Chesshir Elected Chairman of Chamber Executives Association

Published Monday, August 15, 2016

Jay Chesshir, CCE, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, was elected 2016-17 Chairman of the Board of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) during the organization’s Annual Convention in Savannah on August 9, 2016.

ACCE is a professional development organization serving the women and men who lead local, regional and statewide chambers of commerce and similar private sector-led economic development organizations across North America. Attendance at the 102nd Annual Convention in Savannah exceeded 1,200 members.

“For years, Jay Chesshir has been a leader across this organization,” said Joe Roman, chief executive officer of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and ACCE’s Immediate Past Chair. “From re-imagining member peer groups, to marshalling financial resources to directing the Economic Development Division, Jay’s fingerprints are all over our most important initiatives.” Roman added, “He'll be a great chairman."

Chairmen of ACCE serve a one-year term. They oversee activities of a 70-member board of directors and guide the work of the organization’s 26 staff.

Mick Fleming, ACCE’s president and CEO, said, “Chambers are positioned to do more in business advocacy and promoting economic growth than at any time in our history. With Jay at the helm, I know we’ll continue advancing our mission to equip chamber executives with the tools and skills to be catalytic leaders in their communities.”

“I’m honored to serve an organization that has meant so much to me throughout my career,” said Chesshir. “It’s a joy for any volunteer leader to take the reins of an organization in such good shape – both financially and in fulfilling its mission. I look forward to working with the incredible board and staff to help strengthen career pathways in the industry and to help every chamber executive understand their important role in leading economic growth and community development.”

About ACCEEstablished in 1914, ACCE is an association of more than 7,000 leaders from 1,300 chambers of commerce, including 93 of the top 100 U.S. metro areas. The combined membership of ACCE chambers is close to one million businesses. Chamber leaders look to ACCE for information resources, education opportunities, original research, on-demand consulting, retirement security, thought-leader connections and network access. For more information, visit www.acce.org.

About CCEThe CCE designation (Certified Chamber Executive) is the only national certification for chamber professionals. The CCE program, administered by ACCE, assesses and confirms the applicant's knowledge of the core chamber management areas: Management, Strategic Planning, Development, Membership, Communications, Finance and Operations. Fewer than 600 chamber executives have earned the designation over the past 40 years.